Our Days in Salem
by OurDaysinSalem
Summary: The year is 2011 and many who have left Salem in the past find themselves living together in southern California. Read up on your past favorites like Kimberly Brady, Shane Donovan, Steve Johnson, Kayla Johnson, Mike Horton, and more, and see what challenges a new generation brings to your faves.
1. Chapter 1: Death and a Funeral

Steve & Kayla Johnson's Penthouse, L.A.

It is morning and Steve is chasing his ball-of-energy son around the living room while Kayla gets breakfast ready. Taking a moment from the stove, Kayla looks through the windowed connection into the living room and pleads with her boys not to break something, whether it be a lamp or their necks. Steve grabs his son and manages to wrestle him down onto the couch, messes his hair up and says, "Mommy says we're being too wild, and you know what that means, Joseph," Joey sighs, responding dejectedly, "Yeah, yeah...mommy's word is law." Kayla smiles and shakes her head, returning to the eggs, which she nearly overcooked.

Steve ducks into the kitchen, offering assistance with putting their breakfast on the table. She thanks and kisses her husband, wishing she could stay, enjoy breakfast, and see Joey off to school. "Duty calls," Steve knows. She's so grateful that Steve is so understanding. She asks him what he plans to do while she's at work once Joey's off at school. Steve shrugs, disappointing his wife by letting her know that he wasn't on the schedule to volunteer today. He promises to be a good boy while she's gone. Kayla kisses him one last time, leaves the kitchen and kisses the top of Joey's head, telling both of her boys to be good as she leaves for the hospital.

Kimberly Brady's Beach House, Malibu: Kimberly's Bedroom

Kimberly is lying awake in bed, thinking about Shane, when there is a knock on the door. Kimberly grabs her robe and dons it, answering the door to find Shane, who has breakfast in bed prepared. Kimberly looks at Shane and just smiles, wondering what this was all about. Shane thanks Molly, who leaves and Shane brings to food to Kimberly in bed. "Since I knew you had work off today, I thought that you deserved a little something special, so I had your chef prepare your favorite breakfast foods to enjoy while you relax in bed. I hope I didn't wake you." Kim shakes her head, adding that if he had, she would have no complaints.

She asks how comfortable the cot in Phillip's old study was. Shane looks sheepish. She doesn't understand why he cannot just sleep in his room. Shane remarks that it is easier to jump back into work if he doesn't leave the study. She asks Shane how he feels about beginning therapy with her as they discussed. Shane admits he would be too proud to see a professional. She snarks that he's calling her unprofessional, but he knows she knows what he means. She'd be glad to help, though she admits that sometimes it may be hard to be impartial. He knows how difficult it must be to be impartial with the bias of knowing him so well and being the mother of his children and his ex-wife and all of that. He doesn't think he could have gotten along this past year without her, and he thinks he's ready to start dealing with the past.

Tommy Horton's Home: Kitchen

A tea kettle whistles loudly and Marie Horton pours the hot tea into two mugs, thinking wistfully of her time since she came to Los Angeles. When she'd learned that her eldest and often forgotten brother, Tommy, was in L.A., leaving her daughter's house in Dayton, Ohio and coming to live with Tommy and Sandy in their house in Los Angeles seemed only natural. Soon afterward, he fell ill and she became something of a live-in nurse for him. Her life as a full-time mother to a grown daughter, a mother-in-law to Joshua, and grandmother to their only son, Nick, had kept her busy and driven and she looked at this as simply a new chapter.

In part, it amazed her how she managed to move forward the past thirty years, content in those roles and never really thinking of her own happiness. She supposed she owed that in part to her success rate with men, and in part to her time in the convent, and in part because of the woman she called mom. After losing Alice last June, the need to fill the voids in her life had become more painfully apparent. Being there for an ailing Tommy made the pain all the more poignant. Before she relocated to L.A., she hadn't heard from her brother for years. It was almost as if he had disappeared off the face of this Earth.

Remembering the tea, Marie goes to bring the second mug to her brother, who was sleeping in the other room. At least, she thought he was. Upon seeing him, she is oddly reminded of her mother's description of finding her father, and then of Maggie's description of finding her brother, Mickey, after both men has passed away. Not allowing herself to panic, she crosses the bedroom, trying to be normal and just shake him awake. When he doesn't respond, she checks for a pulse. Her lip trembles. She begins to perform CPR, but he clearly is not responding. She begins to cry, picking up the phone and dial 911. "Hello, operator? My name is Marie Horton and I need an ambulance at 354 Richmond Place. My brother's not breathing." Hanging up, she wonders how she'll ever be able to face Tommy's daughter, Sandy. She picks up the phone again and asks for Dr. Kayla Johnson to be paged.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Nurse's Stations & Waiting Area

Kayla is doing her rounds when she gets the page. Arriving at the nurse's station, she asks the receptionist if the caller gave a name, but she didn't. Curious, Kayla takes the call. She's surprised to hear Marie Horton on the other end of the phone. The paramedics have just arrived at Tommy's. Dr. Tom Horton, Jr. has just been pronounced dead and is being taken back to the hospital morgue. Marie tells Kayla that she couldn't bear trying to talk with Sandy about it just yet and wonders if she could do it, since they're both at work. Kayla admits that Marie's put her in a very tough position, but she agrees to. She hangs up the phone just as Sandy stops at the nurse's station to check her messages. "Is everything all right, Dr. Johnson?" Sandy's appearance catches Kayla off-guard. "No, Sandy, it's not. It's about your father." Sandy simply looks at Kayla, concerned.

Robin Jacobs' Apartment, New York City

Mike Horton stands outside the door, waiting. The door opens to reveal Dr. Robin Jacobs. She welcomes him in. Despairingly, Mike tells her that he got away again. Jeremy's jet took off for God knows where. He wonders if he should have involved the authorities. Robin berates him for considering it. They both know the kind of trouble Jeremy is facing. She fears they'll shoot to kill and have no chance to ask questions. Mike tells Robin not to think like that. How can she not? "Getting yourself worked up isn't going to help us find Jeremy, Robin!" In a heated moment, the parents kiss and quickly, one thing leads to another.

Robin Jacobs' Apartment, New York: Robin's Bedroom

Later, they lie in bed, in post-coital rest. The phone rings and Dr. Mike Horton stirs from his place next to Robin Jacobs and answers the phone. "Michelangelo, this is Steve Johnson. I've got some news." Mike gets up out of bed and takes the phone call out into the living room. Steve tells Mike that he's tracked the jet his son Jeremy took off from last night. If his information is to be believed, Jeremy has come to Los Angeles, where Steve just recently relocated with Kayla and Joe. Steve thinks it would be wise if Mike got to California as soon as possible if he wants to get to his son before Steve does. There will be a plane waiting for him at JFK. Mike goes to ask Steve a question, but the connection gets lost. Robin stirs and puts on her robe. Rather than waste his time with calling Steve back, he notes the number on his cell phone's caller ID, saves it, and tells Robin that he's got to go. He promises to update her as soon as he can. After a moment of hesitation, Mike leaves the apartment.

Bay Memorial Hospital: The Morgue

Dr. Kayla Johnson is overseeing Tommy's identification and placement into to morgue drawer. She sees Sandy come in and flags her over. Sandy can't believe she's confirming the identification of her father's dead body. She tells Sandy sympathetically that she knows how hard it is to say goodbye, but he is gone. Sandy thanks Kayla, adding in a choked voice that she simply wishes she could have been there. Kayla can plainly see the tears forming and the pain on her colleague's face. She offers friendly comfort to Sandy and Sandy breaks down in Kayla's arms.

"He was always there for me when I needed him. When it really counted... after he came back from being a POW... He was really so tortured, you know? Even after he knew he hadn't deserted, he was haunted by memories of his severe torture by the enemy. He never really recovered from that. I devoted most of my adult life and career to him and I couldn't even be there for him in his last moments." As she talks, Sandy sobs. Eventually, she begins to regain her composure.

As Chief of Staff, Sandy knows that she has to be sent home. She wrote the regulation that forces doctors facing family emergencies to be sent home. It's just as well, since she has arrangements to make. She thanks Kayla again and leaves the morgue.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Kayla's Office

Kayla returns from the morgue and picks up the phone to call Steve. She gets his voicemail. Not wanting to leave a voicemail of this nature, she tells him to have her paged as soon as he gets this message.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Nurse's Station & Waiting Area

Later, Mike arrives at the hospital and sees Sandy coming out of her office. He embraces her and tells her how sorry he is to hear about Tommy. She is stiff in his arms and the embrace ends quickly, but she thanks him for his support. He tells her not to worry about calling the family. He called Salem's University Hospital and told their Chief of Staff to spread the news to the family. Sandy rounds on Mike, asking him why he would do that. He thought it would help take the burden off of her. She tells Mike that it was her place to decide who to call and who to tell. Truth be told, she had no intentions of inviting anyone from Salem to the funeral. She doesn't think her father would have wanted the spectacle. But Mike has robbed them both of that choice. She walks away to her office, leaving Mike speechless and frustrated.

Kayla comes out of her office and comes upon Mike and asks him what happened. He tells her that he really doesn't know. He tells her about the call he placed to University Hospital when he heard about Tommy and when Sandy found out she practically blew a fuse. He wishes he could understand why Tommy and Sandy have been so adamant over the years to be cut off from the family. He wonders if maybe he did the wrong thing in calling. Maybe there's something he didn't know about. Kayla tells Mike to stop beating himself over it. Sandy is upset. Her theatrics are understandable, but she tells Mike not to buy into the guilt. Mike thanks Kayla, who promises that Steve and her will be at the funeral. The friends embrace.

Kim's Beach House: Philip's Old Study

Shane has converted Phillip Collier's old study into an impromptu office. Shane is lying on the couch, discussing when he first learned that the ISA had abandoned him when his mission was aborted in South America. "It brought up a lot of old feelings. It was like Jericho and Saul Taylor all over again, before the explosion. Thinking of you and the children gave me the will to keep going. It also reminded me of how quickly they took me off the case of Steve's death...well, disappearance. They took it away and demoted me to a high ranking agent when I was nearly chief after years of dedication to the organization. I did my own digging, but eventually that caught up with me and they demoted me to field agent. Soon after that, Steve resurfaced in Salem, without his memory." Shane notes, with a shake of his head and an ironic chuckle.

Kimberly sighs. "I remember when you told me that you'd become a field agent again. I was so angry. I hid behind my fear that you wouldn't be able to be here for Andrew's graduation and that you'd have to cancel their summer trip to London. I had Phillip, then. When you disappeared, my anger was out, full force. I learned about Phillip having an affair. I went through a brutal divorce, after which I discovered I had leukemia. Bo came to be by my side and for the first time, I admitted how scared I was that you hadn't been in touch. Scared and angry, Andrew moved back home to be with me, to be the man of the house, because he knew someone had to be strong for his mama. And I'd ask myself how could you let something like this happen?" Shane takes Kimberly's hand and they exchange a deep, meaningful look of understanding that is interrupted by a knock on the door. It's their daughter Jeannie. She just got off the phone with Marie Horton: Tommy Horton is dead.

Melissa Anderson's Penthouse: Balcony

Melissa is on the phone with Nathan. She is disappointed he won't be able to make it to town for the funeral. Still, she thinks its just as well, since Nathan never even met her Uncle Tommy. She makes him promise to visit soon. After she hangs up the phone, slowly, she sits down. In a moment of quiet anger, she asks what God has against her family. To have lost her father and grandmother within months of one another. And now this. She barely remembered Tommy and his daughter, Sandy, herself. She knew they were living California, but since she had only just moved out here after her divorce, she had still been settling.

Knowing how close the Hortons usually were, her feeling of distance made her more upset than anything else. In a way, she dreaded what came next. Neither had been in touch with the family for years. They were never even heard from when Tom, Alice, or Mickey died. That made her angry, but what made her angrier was the fact that it seemed no one had done anything to repair whatever had caused this rift between the family. With a sigh, she got up and stepped outside to breathe some fresh air. She was fighting back tears when she heard a familiar voice call to her. "Hey, baby, what's the matter?"

Adjacent to her balcony stands Steve Johnson, his one visible eye full of emotion and concern. He had always been perceptive and sensitive to emotion. She doesn't understand what he could possibly be doing here and tells him so. That's when he tells her that it looks like they're neighbors. Then it hit her: Kayla had moved back to Los Angeles, this time with Steve and little Joey by her side. He reiterates his concern and she tells him that there was a death in the family. Steve immediately asks if there is anything he could do for her. Melissa tells Steve to find his wife. It's time for her to get ready for the service. Steve promises to check back in with her at the service, as he rushes off to find Kayla.

Outside St. John's Cathedral, South L.A.

It had been years since the two cousins had seen one another. Mike knows David had never had much of a relationship with their grandparents, Tom & Alice, growing up, not like the other grandchildren, but wishes he could have come back to Salem from time to time and check in. David tells Mike that frankly his life wasn't meant to be in Salem. Every time he was there, his life just got messed up. He was never going to be some perfect Horton and he didn't need the expectations. Mike notes wryly how much David sounds like Bill, cynical and full of excuses. After a few more tense, but light-hearted exchanges, they shake hands. Mike told David it was good to see him.

David remarks how he'd barely known Tommy and as for Sandy, well, the last time she was in town Renee Dumonde was still alive and married to him. Mike asks him why he came to the service, then. Despite his time away from the nest, he has a lot of love for the Horton family. With the gathering being in LA, it didn't seem like there was much excuse to keep him away. Plus, Sandy and he had gotten back in touch recently when Tommy first got sick and she had him moved to Los Angeles. Mike tells David he'll see him inside. He hears Doug and Julie are coming. David says that sounds great, though clearly time has not been kind to his relationship with his mother and father-in-law.

St. John's Cathedral: Chapel

Inside, many local people who knew Sandy and Tommy both from Maui and Los Angeles encircle her, giving their condolences and stopping by the casket to give their respects before the service. Whenever a new member of the Horton family arrives, Sandy acts busy, determined not to face them and ruin this day. She didn't even want them to come, a fact for which she knew who to thank – glancing at her cousin Mike. Across the room, Julie Williams flags down her son David. He lets Julie fuss for a minute before slipping away. Doug supports his wife, who is obviously deeply hurt by David's distance. The pain is especially obtuse when David joins Sandy and seems much more warm with her.

Maggie Horton asks Mike about Bill and Laura, but not only did they feel they wouldn't be welcome, they couldn't have gotten a flight out had they wanted to. Maggie was under the impression that Mike had been working with them. Mike admits that he had been, adding that he'd moved to Los Angeles when he picked up on a lead to Jeremy's whereabouts. This shocks an eavesdropping Julie, in need of a distraction. Last she'd heard their Jeremy was on the run from the law. Why on Earth would he come to a place like Los Angeles? Michael thinks it makes perfect sense for his son to hide in plain sight. New York would have been a good place, too, if Robin hadn't been living there. He's certainly had no luck locating him since he arrived, but that's largely due to the time he's spent at the hospital. Still, he's not about to give up hope yet. He just has to believe Jeremy hasn't caught wind of his being in town yet and won't skip town the second he hears a rumor.

Marie joins the gathered family and is thrilled to see her grandson, Nick Fallon, despite the sad occasion. Jennifer surprises her brother Mike, who had no idea she was flying in. When asked if she's heard from Jack, she admits she's all but given up hope that she'll ever hear Jack Deveraux's voice again. Mike tells his sister that if she ever does, to give him a call, so he can come and give Deveraux a piece of his mind.

"More like a piece of your fist?" chimes in Maggie. "Michael Horton, what exactly do you expect that to solve?" Mike asks if anyone there can blame him. He knows Jack means well, usually, but he never seems to have his head on straight. Steve and Kayla arrive just in time for Steve to hear Mike talking about his little brother.

"Hey, what has Jackson done now?" He asks Jennifer. Jennifer says she'd rather not talk about it. Sighing, Steve respects Jennifer's right to privacy though he wishes he'd heard from his baby brother, either. He asks about the kids and Jennifer raves about Abigail and missing J.J., who is at boarding school. She returns the question and adds that Joey is being watched by a neighbor, but that neither Kayla nor he had heard from Stephanie since she left Salem. Just as he says this, he hears a familiar voice say: "Papa..." He turns to see his eldest daughter, whom he embraces and asks what she's doing here. She tells him she meant to surprise her cousin Jeannie for her birthday, but she never expected that they'd moved back to L.A., or that she would come back to something like this.

Unable to stand it anymore, Sandy moves past David and can't help but shake her head at the circle of Hortons, unified in her father's death. Marie tries to reason with Sandy, but Sandy simply thanks them all for coming. At least they could be there for his death, even if they couldn't be there for his life. She begins to stalk off before anyone can have a chance to defend themselves. "What a happy occasion this turned out to be," notes Julie.  
Melissa arrives just in time to catch Sandy's final word as she finally walks away. Both Maggie and Julie are seething at Sandy's cavalier attitude as the rest of the family tries to be there for them. While the family is still in an uproar, Melissa asks Stephanie if she can have a word with her in private. Stephanie doesn't think that now is the time or the place. Sandy has brought enough drama on this sad day. Melissa agrees, but asks that, if Stephanie is in town for a while, would she agree to come over for lunch some time. Melissa's Kayla's neighbor. Stephanie reluctantly agrees.

Maggie interrupts and drags Melissa into a big hug. Melissa asks how Maggie is feeling. She tells her daughter that she is completely recovered. Melissa can't even begin to wrap her head around the fact that she's dating Victor Kiriakis of all people. Not wanting to discuss it, Maggie asks her daughter about her new place. Melissa hesitates, noticing how Maggie is dodging her criticism, then says that it's perfect. In fact, it just got more perfect. Steve and Kayla moved in right next door. Maggie hopes that Kayla and Melissa continue being friends after what happened between Nathan and Stephanie. Melissa reminds her mother that they were friends long before their kids dated. Sure, Jack Deveraux was once a source of tension for them and there was that time Melissa was accused of poisoning Kayla, but that was all a misunderstanding. Maggie's glad for that, but seems tentative about something else. Melissa thinks maybe Maggie doesn't believe her. Maggie assures her that she does, she was just wondering - so unsure about whether this is the time or place. Melissa tells her mom to simply spit it out. Maggie asks Melissa about her divorce. Melissa says its final. Her new life can begin - and it would suit her plenty if she never had to think about it again. Maggie simply embraces her daughter, agreeing not to pry further.

Nick and Stephanie become reacquainted. She notes that prison was good for him. He doesn't exactly take it as a compliment. But Steph reassures him that he looks good. He says she does, too. She smiles and thanks him. There is an awkward silence between them before Stephanie asks him where he's living now. He surprises her by saying not far from her parents' new-old place. He was going to surprise his grandmother with a visit and hopefully stay with her for a little while. Despite the occasion, Stephanie is overjoyed to hear this. When Nick asks her the same question in return, she admits that she's not exactly sure. She might be spending a little while back in LA. Nick seems pleased with this, admitting that it will be nice having someone in this huge city he actually knows for a little while. Stephanie promises that it will be a blast. She introduces him to her cousins, Jeannie and Andrew, who are both charmed by Nick's aw shucks demeanor. Meanwhile, Marie watches Nick with Stephanie, smiling.

Unlike the many funerals of Salem's past, none of the Salemites speak on behalf of Tommy's memory. Sandy alone delivers a eulogy. She keeps out the malice she had unleashed on the other Hortons and discusses how tortured he'd been all of his life due to post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being a POW during the Korean conflict. She talks about his failed marriage with her mother, her mother's heart attack, and his failure to find happiness again. During this part of the speech, Kimberly Brady holds Shane Donovan's hand and squeezes it as their children Andrew and Jeannie warily look on.

She knows her mother did some horrible things, but her father wasn't perfect either. Or maybe he just loved imperfect women. David glances towards Doug and Julie. She talks about his work as a doctor, carrying on a family legacy and that a special donation will be made to fund a top-of-the-line clinic, care of the Horton foundation.

She steps down and follows behind like a widow as a decorated group of veterans carry the American Flag-covered casket out of the church. For hours the crowds mill around. It wasn't long, however, before most people had gone but a few of the local family members.

St. John's Cathedral: Cemetery

As people are leaving the grave site Mike asks Steve about Jeremy. He admits that the punk gave him the slip, but he's completely convinced that the little scoundrel is still in L.A. Mike is relieved to hear that, but wishes they had more to go on. Mike knows Jeremy is not exactly Steve's favorite person in the world. "Kid's a punk, Michelangelo. He hurt Stephanie. But make no mistake. I'm completely dedicated to finding him. I will do my best to keep my feelings out of this. I'll keep you posted. Keep in touch," Mike agrees and thanks Steve. Mike says goodbye to Jennifer, Maggie, and Julie, who ask him to let them know what happens with Jeremy. Mike promises that they'll know when he knows anything concrete, as a mysterious young man watched from the shadows.

At Tommy's grave, Sandy kneels, alone. "You know, I wanted to have the service here so that it was just us, daddy. Just like it always was. Oh, Michael...why couldn't he just stay out of it? I didn't want the family here. They don't deserve to grieve for you! I know how you felt. You were so sick over learning about grandmother. As for grandfather, oh God... I know how much you wished you would have felt welcome. But you said so yourself. You said that it would have been a waste of time to go home, to travel from Califronia to Salem for a few days, as if the man was a saint. I know you loved him. I loved him, too, but he wasn't perfect. And if it made you a weak man that you just couldn't go back and face the family, then so be it, because you know what? I think I understand my mother now. I barely even remember her face, but I feel just the way she felt when you were divorced. Like an outcast. No one deserves to feel like that within their own family. No one!"

She is taken by surprise at a hand on her shoulder, that happens to belong to David. With no words exchanged, she collapses into David's embrace and breaks down. Marie happens upon on Sandy and David soon afterwards. "Well, I see the self-proclaimed outcasts are willing to be there for each other, even if they refuse to be there for anyone else." David begins to protest, but Marie tells him that the way he treats Julie is disgusting. Jessica forgave her for giving her up. She thinks its time David grew up and accepted that he has family that loves him. David trots off, leaving Marie and Sandy alone.

Sandy immediately dries her eyes and lights into Marie again, telling her how she blames Marie for what happened. Sandy wishes Marie had never come back to care for her father. She should have just stayed in Ohio. She should have just stayed away. After all, above all else, she was the very reason Tommy could never stand to be in Salem. Marie reminds Sandy that she hasn't been a resident of Salem for many years. Sandy admits the truth in that statement, but that doesn't change the fact that her return to Salem is what drove her father to up and leave town. Since then, he never looked back. Now, here she is again and he died simply to get away from the sister he nearly took for a lover.

Marie wants to get something very clear. She did everything she could to fix the rift between Tommy and her. One thing she fears Sandy has yet to learn is just how stubborn Horton men actually are. Proud, too. When she left Salem the second time and went to Ohio to help Jessica and Joshua raise their newborn son, Nick, it was hardly a full time job. She made many visits out to Maui, but Tommy refused to see her. He'd become a recluse. Nothing she said or did made any difference to him. He'd completely made up his mind to just be alone for the rest of his life. Perhaps it was easier than facing his demons, but don't ask her - she's no psychiatrist. Sandy can point the finger all she wants at Marie, but she's not going to stand for it.

Sandy just smiles and walks away. Marie then breaks down, finally allowing herself to grieve for the brother she never really knew. Nick comes upon Marie then and holds his grandmother. After a few moments, he tells her that he thinks it's time to go home. She wonders if she can face going back to that house she now shares with the woman who hates her more than anything in this world.


	2. Chapter 2: Facing the Past

Melissa Anderson's Penthouse

Melissa hears the doorbell ring and calls out that she'll be right there. When she gets to the door, she sees Stephanie has arrived quite early. Stephanie wonders if she hasn't just walked right into her own execution. Melissa can tell that Stephanie is on edge and can understand why she feels that way, but she assures her that she simply wants to clear the air. Stephanie doesn't think there's anything simple about that, not after what happened between Melissa son, Nathan, and her.

Sandy Horton's House, formerly Tommy Horton's

Over at Sandy's, Nick and Marie are enjoying a peaceful breakfast. She asks him how he knows Stephanie Johnson. He tells his grandmother that they were in the same social circle in Salem a few years ago and became fast friends. Marie is glad that Nick can have a friend in town. He tells her that Stephanie wants to take advantage of the fact that they're both in L.A. and introduce him to a few of her friends. Marie thought Nick was visiting, but now it sounds like he may make Los Angeles more of a permanent home. Nick shrugs, unsure. Marie just hopes that everything will work out. Right on schedule, Sandy comes downstairs, dressed for work at the hospital. Nick takes his cue to go out and begin his day, leaving the aunt-niece pair to square off.

Kimberly Brady's Beach House: Malibu

Steve shows up at Kim's door, which Shane answers. "Steve Johnson," Shane utters wondrously, "I wondered when you might show up on my doorstep." Inviting Steve inside, he asks what brings Steve by. Steve says he needs Shane's help. With what, Shane wonders curiously. "My past, Donovan. I need to fill in the holes left by Alamain and DiMera – sixteen years worth of 'em." Steve thinks the ISA is the only way he's going to get the answers he wants.

Alexander Apartments - Third Floor

Andrew walks up to the door of his apartment: number 5. He considers knocking, but digs for his key.

Andrew Donovan and Jake Kaufman's Apartment

Inside, his towel-clad roommate hears the jiggling of keys and rushes over, opens the door, and is surprised to see him. He thought he'd be spending more time at his mom's after the divorce. "Let's just say things have gotten a bit more settled, Jake." Jake asks if Andrew is back for good and Andrew nods, saying that he missed his freedom. Jake won't deny that it's been fun having the place to himself, but he missed his partner in crime. Andrew can't help but smile, shaking his head and telling him to get some clothes. Jake teases Andrew, asking if he wants a piece of him. Andrew shoots him down with a smirk, adding that his sister's coming by to help him with his stuff. "And don't even think about it," Andrew cautions Jake's playboy sensibilities, as Jake puts his hands up in an innocent expression of defense.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Nurse's Station

Kimberly stops at the nurse's station and spies her sister. "Kay! Think we can grab lunch together later?" Kayla agrees, since she's free. Steve often brings her lunch, but he's tied up today. Kim thinks that its serendipity telling the sisters they were in for some much needed bonding time. Kayla's glad they're both working together at the hospital. It's like old times. Kim recalls raising their kids together in Malibu and all the times she babysat Stephanie while Kayla went to night school. Kayla still doesn't think she's quite paid her sister back for that. Kim says she can start by buying lunch. Kayla laughs, more than glad to cover it. Kim checks her watch and notices that she has a patient in a few minutes, so she wants to run back to her office and prepare. Kayla tells Kim to meet back at nurse's station at 1.

Melissa Anderson's Penthouse

Melissa offers a now-seated Stephanie some coffee. She declines. Melissa decides to simply get down to brass tax, then. She would be lying if she said that Stephanie is her favorite person after what she put Nathan through, and she's right. Nothing about this is simple, but Melissa wants to try. Stephanie wants to know why Melissa's being so nice to her. "You made a mistake, Stephanie. You're human. And if you were some nothing girl who'd broken my baby's heart, maybe I wouldn't even think twice about you. But you are Steve and Kayla's daughter. I know deep down you're a good kid. And like you, Stephanie, I'm human, too. I've made mistakes. I've let people take advantage of me. I was a rebellious teenager, because my birth mother did nothing but use me to get what she wanted. First, I was Mickey Horton's kid, then I was her ex Jim's, then I was Mickey's again, then she married Bob Anderson, and he adopted me like a daughter. Then, after he died, Mickey and Maggie – the two people I've called mom and dad for most of my adult life – took me in. Being a Horton has meant the world to me. But it took a long time before their sobering influence took hold and I lashed out. I dated this guy named Pete, a member of a gang. He was a good guy deep down. Kind of like your papa."

Stephanie becomes curious about Pete. She asks about Nathan's dad. Melissa immediately goes to change the subject, but Stephanie curiosity is getting the better of her. Melissa says that she's never ever talked about him to Nathan and she doesn't think it's appropriate to talk about it with her now. Stephanie accepts this and apologizes, though still curious. To change the subject completely, Melissa brings up the fact that she nearly married Stephanie's uncle Jack, which Stephanie never knew. They share a laugh about that. "Stephanie, you are a beautiful woman. You should never feel like you need to compete with another woman for a man. I pined after your uncle for about a year, but when we made it to the altar, I realized I was fooling myself, that he wasn't worth it, and I dumped him. Of course, the fact that I'd caught him cheating on me helped motivate my decision," Melissa admits. Stephanie can't believe that of her Uncle Jack. Melissa just smiles, knowingly. "The bottom line is you have to think of you first. Not some man. And while I realize that this time this man was my son, he is just as much to blame for what happened as you are. If despite Nathan's insistence you felt so threatened by Melanie that you had to lie and cheat to keep him, Nathan failed you. What's done is done. There's nothing you can do about it now, and I want us to move forward and not dwell on the past, okay?" Stephanie nods.

Melissa sees Stephanie out, hoping that her words were a comfort to her. Stephanie thanks Melissa for this talk. She knows Melissa never had to like her. She appreciates that Melissa believes in her. Melissa tells Stephanie that it's more important that she start to believe in herself. After Stephanie leaves, Melissa's phone rings. It's Marie. Melissa wonders what she's calling about. Marie tells Melissa about the flowers that Linda sent that arrived today. Melissa wonders why her mother couldn't be bothered to reach out to her, hanging up with Marie. She knows she shut Linda out of her life years ago, but sometimes she wishes Linda would at least try to be something to her.

Kimberly Brady's Beach House

Shane looks at Steve, slightly crestfallen. "Steve, I'm no longer with the organization. I'm not sure what I can do to help you." This revelation startles Steve, who thought that being in an international spy for as long as Shane was not something that he could just drop. Shane wonders what Kayla would think about Steve's investigation. He heard that it hadn't gone so well in the past. Steve snaps at Shane, telling him to let him worry about his wife. There is a long pause. Steve apologizes for snapping. He knows Shane is just trying to protect everybody. Its what he always did. After a moment, Shane offers to do whatever he can, but he doesn't look forward to getting read the riot act by Kim and Kayla.

Steve sighs, admitting that his time in the psych ward was hardly a expenses-paid vacation and the Ava Vitale drama was nothing short of exhausting. He figured old loves coming back to haunt you was a once in a lifetime kind of thing, thinking of his late wife Marina. Shane points out that he had his own share between Emma and Gabrielle, then recalls Steve's prior relationship with Britta Englund, but Steve claims that was different. It was before Kayla. "And this Ava Vitale person was after Kayla." Shane quips. "In a manner of speaking," admits Steve, adding that there's something about that which has never quite worked in his head and that's driving him to keep digging. Supposedly, he wound up in the DiMeras possession, not unlike John, Roman, Hope, and Marlena. But his dealings with the DiMeras began and ended with nearly adopting Benjy with Kayla and being connected to Roman and Marlena and Bo and Hope. Yet, he was made into this DiMera soldier, by Stefano's youngest known son, Elvis, who wasn't even born when Steve disappeared...but it was Lawrence Alamain who targeted Bo in the explosion that landed Steve in the hospital. Shane admits that there seems to be a missing piece of the puzzle, indeed. In spite of himself, he reiterates how Kayla will play into this.

Sandy Horton's House: Kitchen

Marie and Sandy are having a bit of a stand off. Sandy notes how quickly Marie's grandson scurried off. She hopes her aunt is not filling the boy's head with lies to scare him about his Aunt Sandy. "No lies, darling," Marie says, "because to be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea what to expect now that we've laid my brother to rest." Sandy seems amused by this, but neither woman can say anything else before the doorbell rings. A deliveryman delivers an extravagant bouquet of flowers. Sandy takes the note and is clearly touched. Meanwhile, Marie is curious who sent them, noting the flamboyant arrangement. Sandy reads the note, "No matter how our relationship ended, I always thought of you with great fondness. It saddens me greatly when I heard of your passing and I hope that this beautiful arrangement can justly express my even greater sadness at not being able to pay my respects to you in person. Always, Linda." Marie notes her surprise, having not heard the name Linda Anderson in many, many years. Sandy has to be off to work, but she asks Marie to find a nice vase for the flowers and, on her way out, adds for Marie to take care. Marie can't help but feel it was more of a threat than a friendly goodbye.

Andrew Donovan and Jake Kaufman's Apartment

Andrew is on the phone with the building superintendent, Mr. Alexander, thanking him for freeing his schedule so that he could meet and renew his rental agreement. He understands that he can't make it out to the apartment complex right now. He knows that he's a very busy man. Telling Mr. Alexander he's on his way, he thanks Mr. Alexander again before hanging up. After hanging up, he calls out to Jake, who has put on some pants. He can see Jake isn't exactly ready to go meet their landlord and asks if he can stay and wait for his sister? He doesn't want to keep Mr. Alexander waiting. "Sure," Jake agrees, and Andrew reissues his warning from earlier that his sister is off-limits. Jake is perfectly willing to accept that. He wouldn't want to ruin the good thing they have going here as roommates. Andrew grins, thanking his friend and roommate and slapping him on the back affectionately before heading out. Jake watches him go out the window, deep in thought...

The doorbell rings. Jeannie is on the other side, struggling with one of the heavier boxes of Andrew's stuff. Jake takes one end of it and helps her carry it and place it down. He tells her to take a load off. He can tell that was quite a burden to carry by herself. He didn't realize his roommate's sister was Xena, Warrior Princess. She bursts out laughing and adds that she didn't think her brother roommate was a comedian, either. With a smirk, he tells her to stay there, looks out the window and asks her if her car is the white Mercedes. She nods and he compliments her on her wheels, telling her that he'll be right back with some more stuff. She watches him go before taking a look around the apartment. She can tell it's a bachelor pad, shaking her head, saying "Boys," exasperatedly.

When Jake comes back, Andrew is with him and asks Jeannie if "this punk" gave her any cheek and she says that he was a perfect gentleman. Andrew scoffs at that and Jake takes mock offense to the suggestion that he's anything but a gentleman. Andrew tells Jeannie that Jake is like a chameleon; he just sort of fits to his surroundings. Jeannie thinks that's not a bad quality to have and Andrew is glad that they're getting along okay. When Jake tells him about the long box Jeannie carried up by herself, Andrew can't believe she didn't leave that for when she could had help, but Jeannie says she was fine, because of the elevator. Besides, it was more awkward than heavy. Jake recalls how much she was huffing and puffing when she was waiting outside the door and how he had to scramble to get the box out of her arms when he answered the door. "Why'd you call me Xena, then?" Andrew casts a suspicious glance over to Jake, who simply says it was impressive that she'd managed it as far as she did. Andrew can see the misogynistic conversation coming a mile away and tells Jeannie come with him and grab the last few boxes. She narrows her eyes at Jake before leaving with her brother.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Kimberly Brady's Office

There is a knock on Kimberly's office door and on the other side is Kayla, Kim breaks out into a big grin and gives Kayla a big hug and eyes the greasy bag of Chinese. "Oh Kay, do you remember how many times we tried to get papa and mama to order chinese food when we were kids?" Kayla nods and laughs with her sister, recalling how adamant their father used to get about eating that junk. And the number of times Roman would sneak them some. "He always was the best bad influence in our childhood," Kim recalls. While she's enjoying reminiscing with her favorite sister ("Only sister," reminds Kim), she can see that something's on Kim's mind. Kim sighs, saying how easy she is to read for someone who counsels other people about their problems. Kayla knows she's no psychiatrist, but she'll still try. "It's the kids, Kay. And Shane. I just don't know what to do."

Kayla wants to know what's going on. She asks Kayla if she remembers how Andrew moved back home when she was sick, you know, after the divorce. Kayla nods. "Well, today he's going back. I offered to take off work and help him move, but he didn't want me to go to the trouble. I almost did anyway, but I know my kid. He's stubborn as a mule," Kayla smirks, noting that he's a Brady through and through. Kim notes that he's got quite a bit of Donovan in him, too, though he doesn't like to admit it lately. Kim is worried that the kids are afraid that Shane and her will mess things up again. It's why they have been taking things slow. She loves Shane with all of her heart, but she feels as if they are in limbo. Kayla points out that the kids are adults now. Kim knows that, but it's still a big deal, because while Shane was around them growing up, he was always this distant, cool parent. Now, he's just there all the time and it's not what they're used. "It's not that they think it's bad, really," Kim adds, "just different. It's like they don't really know what to think of it. They expect him to be off on adventures any minute, just like when they were kids and last minute assignments came up while they were in England and Peachy had to watch over them while he was gone."

Kayla understands Kim's concerns. Kim goes on. The divorce hit both kids hard. Andrew took up his mantle as man of the house and then Shane comes out of nowhere and steals his thunder. Kayla can see Kim's analyzed it. Kim smirks, saying she can't help it. It just comes naturally to her. Jeannie's had it rougher. Andrew was old enough to have had a lot of time with Shane when they both left Salem forever, going their separate ways. All Jeannie remembers is the father that came and went throughout her childhood and teen years. There's more distance between Shane and Jeannie because of all the time Shane spent thinking she was Cal Winter's, and its hurt her. Plus, she knows what it's like to be a woman in a man's world and wanting to be rebellious because of a less than satisfactory childhood. She tried to give her and Andrew more stability by having Phillip as their stepfather, but she's not sure that it helped Jeannie. Kayla points out that Jeannie hasn't gone through the kinds of things Kim went through. Kim knows that, but she still worries about her only daughter.

Jeannie's Car

Jeannie starts asking questions about Andrew' roommate and Andrew immediately puts his foot down. "Jean, whatever is going through that mischievious little mind of yours, forget it. Jake's my roommate. He's a good roommate, but he's a bit of a ladies' man. Forget about him." Jeannie rolls her eyes and tells her brother that he's crazy if he thinks she's interested in Jake. Andrew hopes not. He's trying to protect her, but he's also trying to protect himself. He doesn't want to deal with the awkwardness of his sister dating his roommate and good friend. It's just not worth it. He makes her promise not to go chasing after Jake. Jeannie says that she would never do anything to upset her big brother and tells him not to worry so much. Andrew is not convinced as he watches her walk back to the building with one of the last small boxes.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Kimberly Brady's Office

Kimberly thanks Kayla for listening. Kayla promises that she'll look out for Jeannie, and so will Stephanie. Kimberly knows that and is glad to have her back up. It's always meant a lot to her. Kayla senses there is more on Kim's mind, but she rejects the idea, saying that she just has her mind on work. Kayla hopes they are still on for dinner at her place next week. She thinks a good family dinner will be great for everyone. Kim looks forward to it. Kayla realizes they both need to get back to work and thanks Kim for lunch. After Kayla leaves, Kim wonders if trouble with the kids is the only thing keeping her from being with Shane.

Kimberly Brady's Beach House

Steve conceals the fact that he hasn't talked to Kayla yet to Shane, saying that she doesn't like it, but she understands his desire to learn more. She's scared. She doesn't want to lose him again. He has no intention of being taken away again. He will be there to watch Joey grow up. He's gonna be there to watch his little Sweetness marry and have kids of her own, no matter what he's already missed. That's a promise. But in order to be complete, Steve says he's got to do this. Shane understands. Their good friend John went through the same thing. He tells Steve that he'll do whatever he can to help.

Bay Memorial Hospital: Chief of Staff Office

In her office, the Chief of Staff office, Sandy hangs up her phone and begins pouring over her paperwork. There is a knock on the door. She doesn't look up, but tells the knockee to come in. She does, but she is not immediately revealed. "Excuse me, Dr. Horton, I have a five o'clock appointment with you- your administrative assistant told me to come right to your office." Sandy smiles up at the applicant. "It's so good to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Valerie Grant is revealed to be the other woman in the room. "I need a job, and I heard that you had a few positions available for on staff doctors."

Sandy Horton's House: Living Room

Marie is alone at the house, having a cup of tea when the doorbell rings. It's Frankie Brady. Marie recognizes him from pictures of Jennifer with Frankie in her mom's photo albums, having never met him. Frankie asks how Jennifer is, but Marie is unsure as they had little chance to catch up at her brother's funeral a few weeks ago. She thought he was lawerying in Washington, D.C. He admits that he's done a bit of travelling in his work and he's afraid this isn't a social visit. He tells her that he is Tommy's lawyer. She informs Frankie that Sandy is at work, and she would be next of kin, but Frankie makes it clear that he already knew that. He's here for Marie. With a sigh, Marie admits she was waiting to see what Sandy would try to pull on her next. "It's an eviction notice, Ms. Horton, effective immediately. She feels your presence here in the house, along with your grandson, will only serve to exacerbate her grief." Marie takes the document in Frankie's hands, looks at it, and looks back up at him, clearly shaken but her voice strong. "Very well. Feel free to inform your client that I've gotten the message." He's sorry that he had to do this. She simply escorts Frankie out of the house and slams the door.

Malibu Pier

Stephanie walks down to the Malibu Pier, where she remembers going all the time, recalling how her mother always talked about her dad hanging out on the riverfront. She remembers meeting Jeremy Horton here on this very spot...over four years ago. Next thing she knows, Nick Fallon is running up to her. She asks him if something's wrong. "No, I just saw you over here and figured I'd come say hello." She asks what he's been doing. He tells her that he's job hunting. He's not sure how it went, yet. He knows his family could pull some strings and have him working as a lab tech again, but he wants to make a new start on his own terms. Stephanie admires that and adds that she's glad that he's here in L.A. Sometimes, it's good to have a friend you can really depend on. He can see she's upset and pulls her into a hug.

She laughs, not sure why she's so upset. "I guess everything is sort of catching up to me. It's overwhelming, starting over." Nick understands completely. His phone goes off, causing them to break their physical proximity. It's his grandmother.

Cut to: Marie on her cell phone

"Nick, darling, I'm glad I caught you. I have some bad news. We are no longer welcome at your aunt's house. She's evicted us. I'll call you with more details about where we'll stay until we find somewhere to go." She hangs up as quickly as she can, not allowing Nick to react.

Cut to: Malibu Pier

Stephanie asks what's wrong, and he tells her that he's homeless.


End file.
